John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerGiants defensive end Justin Tuck says he didn't sleep much on Sunday night after the loss to the Packers because he was pondering the ups and downs of the team's play of late.

Justin Tuck didn’t sleep much on Sunday night. He was too busy thinking.

About the loss to the Green Bay Packers. About the Giants’ upcoming four games, two of which are against the team they trail by one game – the division leading Cowboys. And about the way the Giants’ intensity level can be so high one week and so very low the next.

“What kept me up was I know the Saints are a great football team but nobody would say the Saints are better than the Packers,” Tuck said on Monday night after signing autographs with three of his teammates at Garden State Plaza in Paramus as part of a holiday toy drive. “So how did we come out one week and play like we did and then come out this week and play like we did? And two weeks ago play like we did against Philly and go out to San Francisco and have an opportunity to beat them out there?

“I mean, it doesn’t make any sense to me. Do I need to go see a shrink?”

The best treatment for Tuck and the Giants is to come out on Sunday in Texas and play as well as they did in the last-second loss to the Packers, not like the did the previous week when they were hammered in New Orleans. A victory against the Dallas Cowboys would tie both teams at 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the division. (The third tiebreaker is common games. The Cowboys are 7-4 to the Giants’ 6-4 right now.)

One would think this weekend’s game and the implications surrounding it would be enough for the Giants to get motivated. But the past four games – all losses – were certainly big ones as well. The Giants didn’t play with enough passion in two of them.

“Physically, I think we prepare better than anybody in the country. Mentally, sometimes we have those lapses,” Tuck said. “Why? I don’t know. I’m as guilty as the next guy. It’s just something we’ve got to continue to work on.

“Coach (Tom) Coughlin says all the time just be more mentally tough.”

It was suggested to Tuck, as the players are wont to say, the other guys get paid, too, meaning they’re motivated as well. To which he replied, “But I don’t think the Saints get paid double than we get, do they?”

Very true.

“You just don’t have that spark some nights,” he said. “If you never played the game, I don’t expect you to realize what I’m saying but some nights you’ve got to trick yourself, you have to mind trick yourself. It’s tough sometimes, but that’s what you’ve got to do because it’s hard when your body’s beat up.

“I know a lot of people don’t understand that. They say you’re getting paid a million dollars to play a game.”

The next month, it’s about more than money. It’s about getting to the postseason. As bad as things have been for the Giants, they still have two games against the team they’re trying to catch. All in all, that’s not a terrible situation for a team to control its own destiny.

Tuck had a feeling that would be the case when he saw the schedule and noted the late games against Dallas, the second of which closes the regular season on Jan. 1.

“I didn’t think it would come down to the fact we had to beat them, but I thought it would come down to being important games,” he said. “Obviously, three divisional games with the Redskins there (on Dec. 18), three very important games. The Jets game doesn’t really mean much (to the divisional race) but it’s a game we definitely want to win.

“So 4-0 would be a great way to kick off the official playoffs, even though I feel like the playoffs have already started.”

Even if they haven’t been playing like it.

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Tuck estimated 300 people showed up outside Lord & Taylor Monday night to donate a gift in exchange for autographs from him, LB Michael Boley, DE Dave Tollefson and CB Prince Amukamara. The toys will be distributed by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“A lot of kids are going to have a better Christmas than they would’ve if we didn’t have this, so that’s very important in the end,” he said. “It’s great of my teammates to come out and help and make it what it was. That’s going to go a long way to put a few smiles on kids’ faces this holiday season.”

Amukamara didn’t seem to have much of a choice. He said he was there “because Tuck told me to come,” though he gladly complied.

“Well, I put my arm around him like I’m his big brother. He will be involved in a lot of things I do, whether he likes it or not,” Tuck said with a grin. “But at the end of the day, it’s to help him. It’s not rookie hazing; it’s actually because I like the kid. I want to put him in contact with a lot of things that are going to be a help for him and his career.”